Garter buckle



Oct. 16, 1928. l687,8l7

F. E. WILSON GAMER BUCKLE Filed Dec. '7, 1926 Patented Oct. 16, 17928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,A

FRANK EWILSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, TO T HE WILSON FAS*'.lrld-IN'EIB COMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A 'CORPORATION 0F' OHIO.

GARTER BUCKLE. c

Application filed December 7, 1926l Serial No. 153,067.

This invention is concerned with rclasps or buckles and has for its vgeneral object the provision of a.'quicklyattachable or detachable buckle adaptable for the joining of the ends oi'l elast-ic bands.

More specifically, the invention is directed to the provision of a double clamping buckle which, while being neat in appearance, incorporates Astructural features affording a ready insertion 'tor the` cut portions of thick" or shirred elast-ic bands. beneaththe buckle clasps.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a double clasp buckle for elastic bands which will afford sutlicient leverage on the clamping members but which may be arranged in a compact manner convenient and comfortable to the wearer. c

Other objects ot the invention will become apparent in the following description refer-- ring to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

Fig. l et the drawings shows the adaptation of the buckle to the joining of the ends of stylish elastic bands; Fig. 2 is a front view ot the buckle detached from the band; Fig. 3 is a perspective Viewv showing the back face of tlie buckle; Fig'. 4 is a sectional end view of 'the buckle with the clamping members in a closed or clamping position; the plane of the section being` indicated by the line 4444 on 2; Fig.y 5 is a similar view to Fig, 4 withthe clamping members swung to'open position, thus conditioning the buckle or the reception ot' the band ends; Fig. 6 vis a' rear vieiv ot the buckle with the clamping members swung' to an extreme outward position; Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the under lside ot one of the clamping members;

- Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 84-8 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 9 is diagrammatic View illustrating the action of the clamping lever, being an .exaggerated cross-section through the front and lever,

Such bands are considerably thicker and y more irregular than the usual flat elastic band heretofore used, and to obtain a buckle which will permit a. quick insertion of the jagged thick ends of such a band, and effectively hold them and at the same time shallVV be comfortable Vand neat in appearance is problem which this invention is intended to solve,

The buckle comprises a body v10 and two peculiarly constructed clamping members 20 and 21 hinged thereto. The Vbody of the buckle is outwardly bowed and the clamping members have their jaw Vsurfaces 'inwardly bowed so that when the clamping members are swung to 'an open position, a maximum opening is presented to the buckle structure at each side thereof for the reception of the band ends, ,-This maximum opening is shown vclearly in Fig. 5, wherein thefront or body member l0 ot the buckle is formed in forwardly bowed fashion and the jaw surfaces ot' the clamping members 20 and .2l/ stand bowed in an opposite direction.

The clamping members, as shown in Fig. 7, mayeach comprise a stamping having a handleportion as 22 and jaw portion 23 providedwith' a serrated edge v24 and pivot lugs 25 at its ends. 1 y

The body -10 may have the front thereof plain or it may be scrolled or ornamented in any suitable manner, and it may be provided atthe top and bottom with Hanges 12 which have openings at the ends thereof to receive Y 'ivot lugs 25 formed on the clamping 'memers r20 and 2l.` v

The serrated'outline or edge 24 of each clamping member is convex and of a curvature so related Ito the outward bowing' of the body that when the clamp is swung into closed 4position as shown in Figs, 2, 3 and 4, the vteeth thereof are closely adjacent and practically contacting with body surfaces adjacent the edge as illustrated particularly inv 4.

ltially normal tothe frQIit lOwhen' the buckle is closed. l

It, will be noted that .as shown, .the edge 11 ofV thebody is straight and though the sur-, face of the j aw is concaved and theedge conveX, this edge when the jaw is closed liesin a laneparallel with the edge of thebody, as illustrated in Fig-.2. `This peculiar reiaton of the c,onetime Vsurfijlc'e oft` le jaw' meeting The teeth ,24 are bent from the general Yconcavesurface 23 so that these teeth are substanwith the opposite concavity of the body allows the large space for invertion of material; at the same time the convex termination of t-he edge causes binding coaction on the body when the aw is closed. rllhe relationship of the teeth 24: to the body edges 1l causes the greatest impingementof the teeth into the fabric just before the clamping member comes to closed position, thus throwing an extra stress on the device in opening and insuring a binding action of the teeth upon the band when the buckle is closed. Y

Explaining the action more fully, the clamping jaw is so formed that, in closing, the teeth move s ightly past the dead center so that there is no tendency of the buckle to spring open, the tendency beingl rather to spring tightly shut. The action is more clearly illustrated in the exaggerated View Fig. 9. In this view, which shows the j aw in closed ,.position, C indicI tes the center about which the clamping Jaw swings; the broken une I" indicates the inner surface of the front when the buckle is open, and the broken line J indicates the position of the jaw just as the teeth have come into engagement with the front in the closing operation, such an engagement being at the point designated E in the diagram` Now after such engagement takes place, the `iaw swings about the center C with a radius C-E and thus springs the front away from the aw. At the point designated D this spring action has reached the maximum and then the teeth move slightly beyond the line C-D into the position shown at 24, so that the resilience of the front l0 tends to hold the clamping lever against opening movement.y It will be understood of course that the amount of displacement of the front is very much exaggerated in Fig. 9 for clearness of illustration. y

The arms or lever portions 22 of the clamping members, which extend transversely from one'end of the j aw portion, while of sufficient length to enable the jaws to be readily opened, preferably each terminate short of the opposite member. This enables the user to insert the thumb nail beneath the end of the armand readily force it open, This accessibility may be increased without interfering with the effective smoothness of the back of the buckle, by slightly depressing each clamping membei` opposite the end of the other as illustratedY at 26 in Fig. 3.

AEach end flange of the body is preferably indented adjacent the mid region of its eX- treme edge as shown at let to provide an abutment which will be engaged by theleverf arm of the clamping member when closed and will thus limit the inward movement and maintain thefentire back substantially in a plane, as illustratedin Fig. 3. i

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seen'that a buckle structure such as herein set forth may have the exposed contour thereof of an artistic shape and that such shape 1s advantageousin thata maximum clearance may be presented between the body of the buckle and the jaws of the clamping members. It will also be apparent that the clamping members may be of a maximum over--all dimension to aflord a ready manipulation thereof in both the closing and ope-ning of the buckle. These clamping members may be constructed in such manner as to present a substantially fiat back to the buckle with all metallic edges of the buckle subdued to prevent irritation to the wearer. The relationship of the clamping contour to the body conthe surfaceof which is concaved toward the body when the buckle is open, whereby' a lenticular space is available between the jaw surface and the body surface.

2. A buckle substantially of the character described, wherein the body member is formed with a convex outer surface bounded by straight edges and clamping members pivoted thereto having concave jaw surfaces, on the side adjacent the body when the buckle is open and such surfaces having edges 'conveXed in the same direction -as the V body, which edges, when the jaws are closed lie in a plane parallel with the edge of the body.

3. A buckle of the character described, the combination of a sheet metal body portion having flanged ends, a pair of clamping members pivotally mounted in Said ends, each clamping member comprising a jaw portion which has a concave surface adapted to stand away from the body when the buckle is open,

there being teeth at'the inner edge of such concaved surface which coacts with the body when the buckle is closed, each `iaw portion having a lever arm adjacent/one end eXtendingtowards the opposite clamping member" and a portion of the end flanges of the body being bent inwardly to provide abutments adapted to be engaged by the lever arms. v

4. In a buckle, a buckle body having vits surface concavely formed and a clamping member pivotally connected thereto which when in an open position is formed with a jaw surface to be concave in an opposite di# rection relative tothe body concavity.

For cheapness of manufacture,

5. In a buckle, the combination of apair l of clamping members, said clamping meinbers having jaws, the outer surface of'which is concavely formed and a body member to which the clamping members are pivotallyattached, said body member having its inner surface concavely formed in an opposite direction relative to the clamping member when the latter are swung `to an open or unclamping position.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a double buckle comprising' a body portion and two clamping jaws hinged thereto, each jaw having a comparatively wide portion extending toward the body when the buckle is closed and terminatingin a comparatively narrow gripping edge, the surface of the said portion being bowed in an arc of which the pivotal axis is substantially a chord, so that said surface will stand away from the body when the aws are open.

7. A buckle for connecting the ends kof garter bands or the like comprising la body portion and two clamping jaws pivoted thereto at opposite ends, each j aw having an edgev adapted substantially to engage the surface of the body when the buckle is closed, such edge forming the terminus of a jaw surface, of material width, which lies in an arc from one pivot to the other and is concaved or hollowed toward the body when the buckle is open. y

8. A double buckle having a body and two clamping members, said body being concave on the face adjacent the clamping members,

said clamping member having a jaw and av lever arm, the clamping members being duplicates and each lever arm pro]ect1ng from near one end of one member toward the other member, and the jaw comprising a surface which is rconca-ve toward the body when the buckle is open, said surface terminating in a convex edge adapted to coact with the body when the buckle is closed. f.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ax my Y signature. 

